


Short Reigns the Queen

by Fishykarp



Category: Long Live the Queen (Video Game)
Genre: Based on a small interaction in the game, One Shot, Spoilers for one ending, possible sequel in the works
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-25
Updated: 2019-04-25
Packaged: 2020-01-31 17:15:30
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18595819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fishykarp/pseuds/Fishykarp
Summary: Events have finally flown out of Elodie's control. A week before her coronation, the fires of revolt have reached the castle. With little else to do, she sends everyone else away, and decides how to spend her last few hours of freedom.





	Short Reigns the Queen

“I don’t think there’s anything I can do,” the court musician said, “I’m sorry.”  
Elodie paused for a few moments.  
“Thank you, Sabine,” she replied. “That is all.”

Sabine froze. “You aren’t going to try anything?”  
Elodie shook her head.  
“What could I try?” Elodie mustered a warm smile. “It has been an honour.”  
“It has.” Sabine bowed, turned around, and exited the throne room.  
Elodie sat in silence, observing the gathered nobles and castle staff. She waited for their whispering to cease, before speaking again.

“If anybody here wants to leave, this is their last chance.”  
Wordlessly, the assembled nobles began to stand, and filed out of the throne room, followed by their servants. Elodie sighed, there was only one thing left to do.

Her mother’s tomb never failed to depress her, especially today. Her mother’s grave sat, caked in dust, as always, but now it sat alongside a second, fresher one. “Dad…”  
Maybe if she’d listened to that Lumen those weeks ago, she could’ve sacrificed herself instead. But what was done was done, there was no going back.  
She took a deep breath, and wiped a tear from her face. “Thank you…”  
Standing up, she exited the tomb, and pushed the doors closed. 

She wondered what she’d do, now that everything else was gone. She could already see the glow of the torches, held by the revolting peasants, through the open gate. Maybe she should’ve left with the nobles, but to what end?  
“Elodie!”  
She turned around quickly, looking for the source of the voice. “Adair?”  
“Down here!”  
She looked towards the source of the voice, and found him sitting on the edge of the castle garden, digging through the dirt. “Why are you still here?”  
Adair blushed. “We’re still getting married right?” he asked. “So I can’t leave, and where would I go?”  
Elodie chucked at his statement, until the implications of the last bit hit her. “You- you know that your mother-“  
“Isn’t here anymore?” Adair finished. “Your dad told me …”

Elodie sagged slightly at the mention of her father.  
“S-sorry! I didn’t mean to-“ Adair began.  
Elodie shook her head. “N-no it’s fine.”  
‘It’s just another thing we have in common,’ she mused bitterly, ‘in addition to being children unfit to rule.’

“Well… “ Adair said, “do you wanna look for beetles with me?”  
Elodie allowed herself a bit of cheer, and sat down beside him. The two didn’t exchange another word as they dug in the dirt, searching for bugs. She felt herself begin to relax, as weeks of tension left her body. After so many invasions and court dances and formal events, it felt good to just be Elodie, not the heir-to-the-throne. She had never been fit to rule, this was all she’d wanted.  
She found a beetle and picked it up to show Adair. His eyes lit up.  
“Cool!” he said, “I haven’t seen one of those before!”  
Elodie laughed, it really was nice to just have fun with another kid her age. Maybe if she was lucky, and the rebels didn’t have her executed, she could continue doing this with Adair from the dungeons. They were definitely dirty enough to have a few bugs.  
“What’s so funny?” Adair pouted. He pushed her, and she fell backward into the mud. His eyes widened, and he began an apology, before Elodie burst out into more laugher.

The two continued to play together, right up until the peasant revolt arrived at the gates. The revolutionaries stormed the palace, expecting to find brutal resistance, but were met with empty thrones and gardens. The angry mob hunted through the garden until they found Elodie and Adair. Two of the nobles that they’d hated enough to rebel against. Two children, fancy clothes covered in dirt and mud, playing with insects.  
“Is that the heir?” one whispered. “I never got a close-up look at her when she was giving speeches…”  
“My own kids look older than them,” another replied.  
Eventually, one of the commoners cleared their throats. “Uh, your… majesty. We have decided to replace you, but-“ 

Elodie stood, turning to face them. Some of the rebels even instinctively took a step back, she had gone from a young child, to exuding an aura of presence worthy of a great queen. She smiled, and raised her arms in surrender.

**Author's Note:**

> So this one's based on a scene in the visual novel Long Live The Queen (if you choose to marry Adair and then your father dies.) The peasant revolt basically ended my first run of the game a week after that event, which was sort of the inspiration for this. If you haven't played Long Live The Queen, I would definitely recommend it.
> 
> I toyed with writing a second chapter, or maybe just lengthening this one, but I think it's good how it is. I might post a sequel later, but I'll leave this as it is for now.


End file.
